Package opening device



March 3, 1942. c. A. REYNOLDS PACKAGE OPENING DEVICE Filed June 29, 1939 Patented Mar. 3, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application June 29,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to article packages and pertains particularly to a device designed for use in association with a cigarette package.

In the use of packaged cigarettes, it is well known that difficulty is experienced in opening the end of the cigarette package and in forming a neat opening for the withdrawal of the contents. It is also difficult in such packages to retain thereon the outer or Cellophane wrapper as such wrapper usually becomes badly torn in the attempt to open the packag and must be completely removed.

The present invention has for its primary object to provide a novel device designed to be located within the top of a cigarette package when the package is closed and to provide a means whereby a portionof the wrapping of the package may be cut through or perforated conveniently by the user of the package so as to facilitate the removal from the top end of the package of a clean cut portion of the wrapper and the moisture-proof covering or sheath in which it is enclosed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which may be easily placed in position when the package is closed and which is so designed that it cannot shift its position within the package during the handling of the latter.

Another object of the invention is to provide a package opening means for cigarettes or similar packages, by means of which the federal revenue stamp will be mutilated as is required by federal laws in connection with taxed packages where tax stamps are applied thereto.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not to be confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the upper end of a cigarette package showing in dotted outline the article embodying the present invention, within the top thereof.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1, the parts of the package wrapper together with the article embodying the present invention being shown on an enlarged scale.

1939, Serial No. 281,978

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the opener per se.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the numeral I generally designates the up- 5 per portion of a cigarette package, which package consists of a paper or similar wrapping 2 and an over-wrapping or moisture-proof covering 3 which is formed of the cellulose material known as Cellophane.

In the closing of a package of this character, the Wrapping material is first pressed down from two opposite sides of the package forming what might be termed the end flaps which'are indicated by the numerals 4 and the wrapper is then folded in from each of the other two sides to form the wider overlapping side flaps 5 and 6. The numeral 1 designates the usual revenue stamp which is placed across the end of the package over the two overlapping flaps 5 and 6. The law requires that this revenue stamp be destroyed when the package is opened or before it is discarded after the contents have been removed.

-In order to facilitate the cutting out of a part metal plate 8 which has a Width substantially equal to the interior width of the package between the front and back wall from which the flaps 5 and 6 extend. The distance between the other two edges or what might be termed the depth of the plate 8 issuflicient so that when the plate is located beneath one of the end flaps 4 and in close proximity to the side wall of the package from which this flap extends, its other edge will lie just beneath the revenue stamp as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 1. The edges of the plate 8 which are spaced across the width of the plate are toothed or serrated, as indicated at 9, and one of the other two edges which are separated across the depth of the plate is also toothed or serrated, as indicated at Ill, the opposite or what might be termed the inner edge II being left smooth or untoothed. The plate 8 has struck therefrom at its central portion and adjacent the smooth inner edge, the pointed tongue or spur 12, the point of which is directed toward the toothed edge ID or what might be called the outer edge. The toothed edges 9 will be referred to as the lateral edges. This spur or tongue I2 is raised above the plane of the plate 8 sufllciently to receive beneath it the edge of a flap 4, the plate being applied to the flap before the latter is turned down so that the plate will be located between the flap and the 55 ends of the cigarettes in the package.

of the overlapped flaps, there is provided a thin In placing the opening device in position, it is located against the inner side of an end flap t before the flap is turned down, the spur or prong l2 engaging over the top of the flap, as is shown in Fig. 2. The flap is then turned down and the plate will have its forward toothed edge in close proximity to the side wall of the package from which the adjacent flap 4 extends and the lateral toothed edges will be in close proximity to the side walls of the package from which'the flaps 5 and 6 extend. After all of the flaps are turned and the stamp I is placed in position, the inner edge portion of the plate will lie beneath the stamp as shown by dotted outline in Fig. 1. It will be readily apparent that the smaller or retaining prongs [4 will be directed upwardly toward the overlying flaps and thus if there is any tendency of the plate to move toward the center of the package, these prongs will catch in the material of the flaps and prevent such movement.

In the employment of the device for opening the package, the user presses in against the three sides of the package adjacent the serrated or toothed edges of the plate, thus forcing these edges to cut through the material and thus enabling the user to pull up on the overlying flap portions to tear them away back into the edge of the stamp 1. This torn out part of the wrapper may then be torn oir along the inner edge of the plate or it may be left to be turned back down over the ends of the cigarettes to protect the same.

From the foregoing, it will be readily apparent that the device embodying the present invention may beeconomically made and easily installed in each package of cigarettes without having to change the usual procedure for packaging and that it will maintain its position in the package and will function efliciently in facilitating the tearing open of the end of the package.

What is claimed is:

1. An opening device for a package of the character described, wherein there are formed inturned overlapping flaps, comprising a flat plate of rigid material and of rectangular outline having three of its four sides serrated or toothed, the plate having a width substantially equal to the interior thickness of the package and a depth less than the width of the package, means forming an integral part of the plate formed to engage over an edge of a flap to secure the plate to the inner side of such flap, the plate being interposed in the closed package between the overlapping flaps and the contents of the package with the three serrated edges each lying in close proximity to a wall of the package, and means coacting with said first means and penetrating said flap for preventing movement of the plate in a direction to disengage it from the edge of the flap.

2. An opening device for a package of the character described, wherein there are formed in- I turned overlapping flaps, comprising a fiat plate of rigid material and of rectangular outline having three of its four sides serrated or toothed, the plate having a width substantially equal to the interior width of the package, a tongue forming an integral part of the plate and disposed in an ofiset parallel plane therewith to receive an edge of a flap between it and the plate for attaching the plate to the inner side of the flap, the plate being interposed in the closed package between the overlapping flaps and the contents of the package with the three serrated edges each lying in close proximity to a wall of the package, and prongs forming an integral part of the plate for penetration of the overlying flap to secure the plate against shifting in the package in the direction of the width thereof.

3. An opening device for a package of the character described, wherein there are formed inturned overlapping flaps, comprising a flat plate of rigid material and of rectangular outline having three of its four sides serrated or toothed, the plate having a width substantially equal to the interior width of the package, a spur member struck from the material of the plate adjacent the fourth one of the sides and directed toward the side remote therefrom and adaptthe plate against the underside of the flap to be interposed between the latter and the contents of the receptacle when the receptacle is closed, and spurs struck from the material of the plate adjacent said fourth edge and directed oppositely from the first spur and adapted to penetrate the material of overlying flaps to prevent the plate shifting from its position toward the center of the package, the plate when in the closed package having the three serrated edges thereof each in close proximity to a wall of the package.

CECIL A. REYNOLDS. 

